"Misty Afternoon," by Richard Clifton, was selected as the
2012 Colorado Waterfowl Stamp and his rendering of a pair of Ross'
geese bagged him a third consecutive win in the Colorado Waterfowl
Stamp art contest and the $3,500 prize. (Courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. )

This year's species of focus is the Greater Scaup (Aythya marila). The deadline for artists to submit entries is 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1.

The Colorado Waterfowl Stamp program was implemented in 1990 and provides funding to conserve wetlands for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife. Waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and older are required by state law to purchase a waterfowl stamp validation annually before hunting. In addition to hunters, many collectors aid in wetland conservation by purchasing collector stamps and prints that are created from the winning entry.

The Greater Scaup has never been depicted on the Colorado waterfowl stamp.

This bird is a medium-sized diving duck that closely resembles, and often mingles with the more common Lesser Scaup.

Greater Scaup breed primarily in the boreal forest and tundra of Alaska and Canada, and winter along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. Small numbers migrate through Colorado.

Artists must submit a 13-inch high by-18 inch wide, full color original artwork for the contest. There is a $50 fee for each entry. The winning entry will receive $3,500 with smaller cash prizes for second and third places. Complete requirements are explained in the application packet, which is available at http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/Waterfowl/WaterfowlStampProgram/.

Hunters can purchase the required $5 waterfowl stamp validation where hunting licenses are sold. The gum-backed stamp is available for a small additional fee.

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